Sunday, May 2, 2010

For years I have loved the fragrance in Pineapple & Cilantro pillars. Now I see the Pineapple & Cilantro description in the summer catalog’s fragrance guide says “refer to Pineapple Coast”. Is it true that Pineapple Coast and Pineapple & Cilantro are really one in the same? I think they smell so different!

Sincerely,

Perplexed over Pineapple

Dear Perplexed,

Believe it! The scandalous truth is that these two fragrances really are one in the same. But don’t feel too betrayed. There are a couple of perfectly reasonable explanations for why this two-timing fragrance has you faked out.

First, if you’re detecting a slight difference between the two fragrances, it may not be your imagination. Any difference between the way the two fragrances smell could be attributed to the difference in wax bases. The vegetable wax blend in the pillars has a slightly different natural odor than that of the paraffin wax blend in the Heritage jars.

Also, you may have heard it said that perception is everything. That couldn’t be truer in the world of fragrance. Fragrance is very experiential. For example, a name like Pineapple Coast with a beach-themed label in a Heritage jar may conjure up different visual images and invoke a different feeling than a Tuscan-inspired pillar with a name like Pineapple & Cilantro.